And Things Will Change
by ballistics belle
Summary: Steve, Danny and the rest of the team have survived the nightmare that was North Korea, but there are still a few things that have to be resolved before life can return to 'normal'. Change is a good thing...right? McDanno. Third in the Change series
1. No Scars to Show

_It's so hard to forget pain but it's even harder to remember sweetness. We have no scar to show for happiness.—Chuck Palahniuk, Diary: A Novel._

It was raining again.

A tropical storm had rolled in overnight with howling winds and strobe light worthy lightning but Danny had been too tired to take much notice. This last week—the last few weeks really—had been exhausting both mentally and physically. Most of his time had been divided between spending time with Steve at the hospital, trying to get things straightened back out at work and attending therapy sessions both with Steve and alone. **'**_Recovery is more exhausting than the disaster itself'_ He thought to himself as he lay in bed listening to the rain splatter against the bedroom windows.

On top of all of this, Mason and Andrew were moving to Hawaii and he had been helping them get situated on the island in the little bit of spare time he had in return for Mason saving Steve from that North Korean hellhole. Mason had resigned his commission and had somehow convinced his partner to live out his civilian life in paradise. Danny was personally grateful to have them around. Mason was good people and he had no doubt Andrew was too. The girls adored him and it would be nice to have a couple extra hands around while Steve was still in the hospital.

Danny couldn't help but sigh when he thought about Steve. His partner's recovery had not gone as smoothly as they had hoped. His arm had healed as expected. The doctors warned that he may never have full range of motion on that side because of the trauma that the limb had endured over time but it would not be enough of a loss to keep him out of the field. His hip was a different story. He had developed avascular necrosis due to a lack of blood flow to the joint during its prolonged dislocation and as a result some of the bone tissue in the hip had died. They hadn't realized there was a problem until Steve had started physical therapy and experienced more pain than was appropriate for that level of activity. He was currently being treated conservatively with anti-inflammatories and a bone strengthening medication but the doctors had warned that there was a possibility Steve would have to undergo another surgery if things didn't improve soon.

Danny couldn't bring himself to think about it. If Steve had to go under again it would mean a poor prognosis for his career. Depending on how bad the necrosis got, it could be debilitating and if he had any kind limitations in his legs it would be hard for him to pass his law enforcement physical, not to mention the Navy. If Steve couldn't be a SEAL or a cop Danny didn't know what his partner would do. _'You're getting ahead of yourself.' _The little voice in the back of his head reminded. _'You have to stay positive, if not for yourself then for Steve. The last thing he needs is more bad news.'_

Steve had opened up to Danny about his father and the truth behind the McGarrett-Wo Fat vendetta. It broke Danny's heart how senseless it all seemed and he understood now why it had messed his partner up for awhile. The sessions with Dr. Lewis were helping Steve to understand how to deal with his feelings in a way that didn't involve self destructive behavior and Danny was seeing a separate counselor to help with the trust issues he still had with Steve. It was a slow and often painful process but they were starting to get back to the place they had been before Makayla had gotten sick.

A gust of wind caused the rain to crash hard against the window and Danny rolled over onto his back. Soft rustling noises filtered in through the baby monitor and he smiled. His daughter was awake and it would only be a few minutes before she started to call for him. Her little voice was one of the sweetest sounds he'd ever heard and it was because of her that he got through some days at all. Danny threw the bed covers off of him and lifted himself up out of bed, detouring to the bathroom quickly before heading down the hall.

"Good morning Miss Makayla." He greeted with a smile as he entered the nursery where his daughter was standing at the side of her crib waiting for him.

"Hi Dada!" She exclaimed, the words muddied slightly by the pacifier still stuck in her mouth.

"Hi baby. Did you have a good night? No bad dreams?" He inquired as he lifted her up and placed her on his hip.

"No." Makayla laughed as she latched onto her favorite word. He shook his head.

"Well that is good." Danny laid her down on the changing table as he worked to get her into a new diaper. He would change her clothes after breakfast, a lesson he learned after far too many loads of laundry. She was a terribly messy eater. "What should we have for breakfast, Kay? Should we have pancakes?" He asked.

"No." She responded.

"No pancakes? Well then how about oatmeal? Should we have oatmeal?"

"No!"

"No? Well then what do you want to eat?" Danny asked, already knowing what her answer would be.

"Nana Dada." Makayla answered as he stood her up on the table.

"Bananas! Of course! How could I forget?" He exclaimed, slapping his forehead with his hand which sent her into a fit of giggles. "You're going to turn into a banana pretty soon." Danny commented as he placed her back on his hip and headed down the stairs. Bananas were definitely his daughter's favorite food at the moment and no meal was complete without one.

"Kay no nana." She replied to the accusation with a frown.

"You're right little bird. You're not a banana." He laughed as he kissed the side of her head.

The nickname 'little bird' had emerged over the last few weeks because not only was Makayla was tiny like a sparrow but when she talked she sounded as if she was speaking pidgin. Once in the kitchen, Danny deposited her in her highchair and then set about slicking her desired fruit up onto her tray before adding a handful of cereal to it. He had just screwed on the top to her bottle of juice and was about to pour himself a cup of coffee when he heard the front door open and Kono's voice call out.

"Danny?"

"In here." He called back to her. "Coffee?" He offered as she entered the room. She nodded.

"Hi KayKay." Kono cooed as she bent slightly to kiss Makayla's head. '_I swear she's going to have a personality disorder if she gets anymore nickname.' _Danny groaned internally as he handed both girls their drinks. KayKay was her nickname for the baby, adapted from the Hawaiian word for baby 'Keikei'.

"Hi!" Makayla smiled as she saw her friend. "Nana?" She asked as she thrust up a hand clutching a piece of mushy fruit.

"Thank you." Kono smiled back as she took the offered food from the baby's hand.

"So, what brings you by on this lovely morning?" Danny inquired, gesturing to the overcast skies as he sat down at the table.

"I needed to talk to you about something." She declared, suddenly serious as she sat across from him.

"What's up?"

"A few weeks back I overheard a couple of guys at the diner near HPD. They were talking about us—"

"Us?" Danny interrupted.

"Five-0." She clarified.

"Kono, how many times I gotta tell you, you can't listen to the things HPD says about us. They're just jealous and bitter." He reminded.

"They weren't HPD. These guys were from the Governor's protection detail. They were talking about Five-0 and the stuff they were saying sounded really shady, Danny." Kono explained.

"How so?"

"They were saying that we were some kind of experiment or rouse and that we screwed up when we went to Korea, like we got to close to finding something out and that's why the Governor reacted the way she did. So Chin and I did a little digging—" Danny held up a hand to stop her.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, hold up a minute. You and Chin did what?"

"I told Chin about what I heard and he agreed that it sounded hinky so we put out some feelers with our contacts." She said. He frowned. "Look I know what you're going to say but don't. This doesn't just affect you and Steve. Chin and I are in on this too." She reminded and his gut clenched with a small pang of guilt.

"What did you find?" Danny conceded, knowing it was a losing battle anyways. Kono was like Steve, she could be like a dog with a bone when she wanted to be.

"Well unfortunately we don't have a lot yet. We put the word out to our cousin Syd and Kamekona to see what's going around HPD and the Coconut Wireless but so far all we got is a lot of hearsay and rumors but I don't like what I hear, Danny." Kono confessed. He sighed and ran a hand over his face. Another crisis was not what he wanted or needed at the moment. He was still trying to repair the damage done by the last one.

"Okay listen, I appreciate all that you and Chin are doing, I really do. But please just promise me that you two won't do anything crazy alright? It's taken me nearly a month to get the Governor cooled off enough that she's agreed to reinstate us. The last thing we need is for her to think we're up to something else and decide to fire us all instead." He warned.

He had had many a conversation over the last few weeks with Governor Jameson and it had taken all of his ability to smooth talk and charm to convince the politician that while yes, the Five-0 taskforce had technically disobeyed an order not to go after Steve and it had been reckless and dangerous, it had also been in the best interest of the state of Hawaii for Wo Fat to be stopped because of his ties to the crime organizations that plagued the island. By stopping him, they were fulfilling their mission to serve and protect the citizens of the state and that a reduction in crime rates would look good for her in her bid for reelection, not to mention that Five-0 also happened to be immensely popular with the good, upstanding citizen population. Eventually, Jameson bought it and agreed to reinstate the taskforce but warned that they would be some changes to the way things were run.

Danny was fine with being reigned in a little if it meant still having a job. But there was still a part of him that wondered if there was something he wasn't seeing. It might have just been lingering paranoia from the last few months but he did wonder if what Kono was telling him had any merit. If there was something unsavory going on, he wanted to know about it.

"So how's boss man doing? Isn't he supposed to be released from the rehab place soon?" Kono inquired, changing the subject as she sipped her coffee. Danny could see that a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders though now that she had confessed to him.

"He's supposed to be discharged in two weeks. Then it's another six to eight weeks of outpatient physical therapy before he will be able to come back to work assuming that everything goes as planned—which has yet to happen." He informed, pushing away his half empty cup. She reached across and placed a hand over his.

"Hey, he's SuperSEAL, he'll bounce back from all of this." She reassured with that easy smile of hers. Danny couldn't help but smile in return despite the fact that he was lacking her sense of confidence.

"Steve and I have a session with Dr. Lewis tomorrow afternoon. Would you mind taking this one for awhile?" He gestured towards Makayla who had has much mashed banana in her hair as she did in her mouth. "It's easier to have a serious discussion when you don't have someone trying to stuff your keys in your ear."

"No problem brah." Kono shrugged as she reached over and tickled the baby's belly. Makayla squealed in delight as she bucked in her highchair. Both adults couldn't help but laugh along with her.

It felt good to laugh again.

**A/N; **For those of you who are wondering, yes I had posted this story once before but I wasn't happy with the direction it was going so I decided to take it down while I attempted to fix it. I know the direction I want to go with it and I think I have a clearer idea of how to get there. This first chapter is very similar to that of the other version but I did change things around some. The avascular necrosis is a real medical condition and I actually got the idea from the back-up goalie for the Chicago Blackhawks. Ray Emery had avascular necrosis and required a bone graft that took bone from his fibula and used it to replace the damaged area of his hip. There was worry he may never walk again but obviously he did and he's even still playing hockey. Let's hope our Steve recovers as well as Ray did ;)


	2. You're The Reason I'm Still Here

**a/n: **This chapter is just sort of fluffy but it's good Steve/Danny interaction which we all love ;)

_I wandered out into the water and I thought that I might drown. I don't know what I was after, I just know I was going down. And that's when she found me, not afraid anymore. She said you know I've always had you baby, just waiting for you to find what you were looking for. And it came upon me wave on wave, you're the reason I'm still here yeah. Am I the one you were sent to save? And it came upon me wave on wave.—Pat Green, Wave on Wave_

Steve had experienced a bit of an attitude adjustment over the last few weeks.

When he had first been admitted to the hospital, his head had been in a bad place. He had been so caught up in seeking vengeance for the family that he lost that he hadn't paid any attention to the damage he was doing to the family that was right there in front of him until Danny had threatened to take it away. That wasn't an option in Steve's book. There was no way that he was going to let his partner take away something as important as their life together without putting up a serious fight. He had to prove that he was willing to commit to Danny and the girls first and foremost and there was no way he was going to able to accomplish that with a hospital bed keeping them apart. So he took that motivation and channeled it into his recovery.

Physical therapy was one of the best parts of Steve's day. Every afternoon Kailoni, his physical therapist, came and retrieved him from his room and took him down for his workout which usually consisted of a combination of strength training and hydrotherapy. The exercises were nowhere near as intense as the ones he used to but it felt good to do something that felt normal again. Hydrotherapy was the part he liked the best but he was finding out that he did not have the stamina that he had had before Korea. He used to be able to tread water for hours when he was in the SEALs but now being asked to tread for twenty minutes made Hell Week seem like a breeze.

"You're almost done, Commander. Just a few more minutes." Kailoni informed as she sat on the pool ledge next to him filling out paperwork. Steve just nodded and clutched the foam noodle a little tighter.

As much as he may have been embarrassed to admitted it, the noodle did help to keep his head above water while he swam since he didn't have quite enough strength in his arm yet to hold himself up. He tried to remember the breathing techniques that he had been trained but they weren't as easy as they used to be either.

"Hey, Aqua Man swims again." Danny joked as he entered the pool area. Steve rolled his eyes as he continued treading water, not willing to waste his precious breath on a response. "Good afternoon Kailoni."

"Hey Danny, howzit?" She greeted with a smile.

"I'm fantastic." He repeated. Steve chuckled a little to himself. Danny was never just 'fine' or 'good' (unless he was trying to play off an injury) he was always something more superfluous, a trait that carried over into everything about him. It was one of things that had attracted Steve to him. "How's our favorite patient doing today?"

"I'm right here." Steve piped up. Danny just gave him a look.

"You're busy. Just keep swimming." He replied. Steve glared at him.

"He is stubborn as ever…but making excellent progress." Kailoni remarked, laughing slightly as she watched the two men interact. "You can stop now, Commander. You're done for the day." She added. Steve sighed in relief and allowed himself to float over to the edge where his companions were waiting.

"Doc says if my hip continues to stabilize that I can start walking again next week." Steve declared, clearly excited by the prospect of being on two feet again.

"That is the best news I have heard in awhile." Danny said sincerely.

"Yeah, I mean at this rate I'll be able to walk out of here instead of roll." Steve smiled which made his partner smile too.

"One step at a time, Commander. Literally." Kailoni interrupted. "Doctor Ho said that you can try standing with the parallel bars next week. It's going to be awhile still before you're walking on your own again."

"Oh don't challenge him like that." Danny mock groaned. He knew how determined Steve was to get back to normal and if he said that he was going to walk out of the rehab facility then Danny was will to bet good money that his husband would do just that despite what any doctor might think. "As much as I know you enjoy being back in your natural habitat, we got to go babe. We have our weekly date with the devil upstairs."

"You know, one of these days she's going to catch you calling her that." Steve warned as Kailoni helped him out of the pool and over to the wheelchair that was waiting for him. Danny was not a fan of Dr. Lewis or really any psychologist but he was willing to put up with her for the greater good of rebuilding their relationship. It did not stop him however from calling the poor woman names.

"Trust me, I'm sure she's been called worse." Danny commented as he handed the other man a towel to dry his hair.

Sitting next to him, he couldn't help but stare at the new collection of battle wounds that had been added to his husband's body. _More scars, _he sighed to himself, _how are we going to cover them up this time? _ After Steve had been injured on his last deployment, he had managed to cover the scars by fixing the tattoo on his arm so that they were mostly covered by ink. Now he had two new, larger scars that were still an angry red color. One ran over his shoulder and onto his back and the other followed the 'v' muscles next to his hip. They would be hard to disguise and even if he were to cover them, Danny would always know they were there and how they got there. _Maybe it's time to stop covering them up._ He thought to himself as he grabbed the handles on the wheelchair.

"How are the girls?" Steve inquired as they left the PT department and headed towards the elevators that would take them back up to his room.

"Grace thinks fifth grade is the coolest thing ever and Makayla had a new favorite word—'no'." Danny answered, not seeming amused. Steve, on the other hand, was.

"That didn't take long." He laughed. "And it only ought to last for the next, oh I don't know, seventeen years?" Danny groaned and Steve laughed harder. "Speaking of which, what are we going to do for her first birthday?"

"I honestly hadn't even thought about it. With everything else that was going on it kind of slipped my mind." Danny admitted guiltily. Makayla's first birthday was only two weeks away and he had totally forgotten about it until now. "Any ideas?"

"Maybe. Let me take care of it." Steve insisted. Danny leaned over his shoulder and gave him a strange look.

"You want to plan a first birthday party?"He asked, sounding slightly incredulous.

"Yeah, it can't be that hard." Steve shrugged. "Besides, it's not like she'll remember if I screw it up." He added. Danny shoved his uninjured shoulder.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but go for it babe." He stated. "Just…one piece of advice?"

"Yeah?"

"No guns or grenades. She is still a baby." Danny reminded. Steve nodded thoughtfully.

"Yeah, you're right. Guns and grenades is a much better theme for a fifth birthday party." He replied deadpanned. His partner just sighed.

"You are impossible."


	3. Read At Your Own Risk

**A/n: **I know it's been awhile but I have been struggling terribly with this story and I finally just got my muse back after watching old season two epidsodes with my best friend so hopefully I can get a few chapters done before she decides to disappear again. This chapter is a little short but I promise the next one is longer and completely worth it.

_All the secrets of the world are contained in books. Read at your own risk.-Lemony Snicket_

Mason and Makayla were waiting for Danny in his office when he returned from a scene one afternoon later that week. Mason had offered to take care of the little girl now that Danny had gone back to the work and Steve was still out of commission. Makayla had taken to him quickly but she still squealed in delight as she spotted her father first over the SEAL's shoulder.

"Dada!" Danny barely had a chance to react as she launched herself into his arms as he entered the room.

"Hey baby girl." He placed a kiss on the side of her head and settled her onto his hip. "What brings you guys by?"

"Oh we were just out doing some shopping at the markets and thought we'd stop by and bring you a treat." Mason responded with a smile, giving a nod to the bakery box sitting on the desk.

"Really? Have you been blabbing to Uncle Mason about my sweet tooth?" Danny asked, bouncing Makayla as he carried her over to his chair where he sat the two of them down. Underneath the pink box was a thick unmarked folder. "Another treat?" he asked, giving Mason a look.

"Just a little bedtime story I thought you might like." Mason responded with a pointed stare.

After all the years he had spent around Steve, Danny quickly picked up on the hint. Whatever was in the file was sensitive information that Mason didn't feel comfortable discussing where the walls had ears. The only thing Danny could think of that could fit that bill was the off the books investigation into the Governor that Five-0 was working on. He had mentioned something about it to Mason who had agreed to reach out to some of his contacts for information. Obviously one of them had come up with something.

"Does it have a princess in it?" Danny asked, playing along while settling his daughter on his lap.

"No, but it does have an evil queen who can put people under a spell." Mason replied with a smirk.

"What about a happy ending? It wouldn't be much of a bedtime story if it didn't have a happy ending."

"It's one of those stories where you get to decide how it ends." He shrugged. "It was written by a mutual friend of Steve and mine's so it should be highly entertaining." He wiggled his eyebrow suggestively.

"I'm looking forward to it." Danny nodded. He slid the folder off the desk and into his locked desk drawer for safe keeping until the end of the day. "So where's Andrew? Still shopping?"

"He's actually on a job interview with the University of Hawaii." Mason said as he settled into one of the visitor's chairs.

"He wants to teach?" Danny wondered.

"Yeah. After all those years working for the government, he's looking for a change just like me. I think he'd be a great professor. He's got a lot of knowledge to pass on and the experience to back it up." He smiled and it was clear to see the pride and admiration that Mason had for the man in his life.

"What about you? What are your plans now that you're out of the Navy?" Danny asked, his words muffled slightly by Makayla, who was trying to shove one of her hands in his mouth while standing on his lap.

"I haven't really thought about it much to be honest. Being a sailor was what I always wanted to be, I never really had plan B." Mason explained with a shrug.

"What do you think about going into law enforcement?" Danny wondered. He was feigning causal but the SEAL saw right through him.

"I know a lot of guys who've made the transition from SEAL to cop, McGarrett included. Why? Are you trying to offer me something?" Mason smirked.

"Well, Steve is going to be out of commission for another six weeks or so which means that Five-0 is down a man. If you are interested, how would you feel about joining our merry band of misfits?" Danny offered.

"Wow, that's quite the proposal." Mason joked. Danny just looked at him with a serious expression. "What are you going to do about her?" Mason gestured to Makayla.

"The search for reliable child care continues on but I think your talents are better served as a member of this taskforce than as a nanny-not that you aren't very good with her." Danny stated.

"Well thank you." Mason smiled. "And if you're sure you can handle working with another SEAL then I accept."

"At this point I'm not sure I would know how to do this job without a SEAL at my side." Danny admitted with a shake of his head. "I already talked to the Governor. She was less thrilled than I was about bringing on another guy like Steve but I assured her that you were far less crazy than my husband so she eventually agreed."

"I appreciate at that." Mason laughed. "When do I start?"

"Next week. There's paperwork to fill out and you have a physical to pass." Danny explained. The ringing of his phone cut off any reply from the other man. "Detective Williams…..He did what?!" He exclaimed, startling Makayla who frowned at him. "I'll be right over."

"What happened?" Mason questioned as he reached out to take the baby back into his arms as Danny jumped up out of his chair. The blonde looked serious and slightly panicked as he grabbed his keys and hurried towards the door.

"That was the rehab facility. Steve just had a major meltdown, projectiles included. I've got to get down there and figure out what the hell happened."


	4. When The Two Don't Line Up

**A/n: **So, what kind of mess has Steve gotten himself into now?

_There is everything you know and there is everything that happens. When the two do not line up, you make a choice.—Mitch Albom, For One More Day_

It didn't take long for Steve to realize that he had made a serious tactical error in volunteering to plan Makayla's birthday party, naming being that he didn't have the first clue what all went on at such an event. He had been to a few of Grace's birthday parties over the years but Rachel had always been the one to throw them. The celebrations that Grace had with Danny and him were much more low key and usually just involved a barbeque on the beach with the rest of the team. And though he knew that Makayla was never going to remember this party, he still wanted it to be special. To him, it was as much a chance to celebrate his baby's birthday as it was a chance to give back and say thank you to all of the people who had helped both him and Danny get through this past year.

Events' planning was definitely not something that Steve had any kind of experience with. He had had very limited involvement in planning his wedding. Kono had done most of the work and only asked for their input when necessary. He had considered asking for her help again but she was one of the people that he was trying to thank with this party so it didn't seem fair to ask. It left him with very few options for assistance.

In the end he decided to go to the big man for help. While Kamekona did have a tendency to be a bit sneaky and underhanded at times, Steve knew that he had a good heart as well. He had explained his dilemma to his friend and Kamekona had agreed to help him out with the food and decorations, if only Steve could decide on what he wanted the decorations to be. He had been browsing the internet all afternoon trying to figure out a theme for the party and had narrowed it down to Winnie the Pooh or Sesame Street when there was a knock on his door.

"Hey Joe," He said, smiling at the sight of his friend. "Long time no see." He waved the older man into his room.

"You're looking a hell of a lot better than the last time I saw you." Joe commented as he took a seat. "How much longer are they planning to keep you here?"

"Doc says if I keep making progress I could be out of here in about two weeks." Steve replied. Joe gave him a knowing look.

"And what's your timeline?" Steve laughed.

"I plan on being home in time for my daughter's first birthday party in ten days." He declared with an air of confidence.

"You're a good dad, Steve." Joe stated, suddenly serious. "Your parents would be proud of you."

Steve suddenly found it hard to swallow around the lump that had developed in his throat. He had been thinking of his mom and dad a lot lately. Becoming a parent himself made him miss them more than ever and there were days when he would give anything to be able to get advice or share one of his daughters' moments with them. He knew that they would have loved to have been grandparents and he now looked at them from a different frame of mind than he did when he was younger.

"You know, I always swore that if I ever had kids of my own that I wouldn't be like my father. That I would do better than he did. I would be around more. I'd be active and involved in their lives. I would always make sure that they knew they were loved….But now, looking back on things and knowing what I know, I realized my dad wasn't as bad of a guy as I thought he was." He admitted.

"Perspective is a powerful thing." Joe nodded. "Your father was just trying to protect you, same thing you were doing for your own child."

"I know." Steve sighed heavily as he looked over at the picture of Danny and the girls that was taped to his bed rail. "Anyways, what have you been up to? You've been gone for like a month." He asked, changing the subject.

"I had a few loose ends that I had to tie up with the whole Wo Fat situation."

"That's what Mason said." Steve replied warily. "What kind of loose ends are we talking about Joe? Wo Fat is dead, doesn't that end everything in regards to him?"

"Not exactly." Joe said hesitantly. "There was something I had to take care of myself."

"What could you possibly have been 'taking care' of for the last month?" Steve snapped. He was tired of the secrets and the lies and he just wanted the whole Wo Fat saga to be over once and for all.

"I was out righting a wrong that was done to you and your family over twenty years ago." Joe informed. The younger man narrowed his eyes in a glare.

"What are you talking about? Twenty years ago? What could—" Steve stopped short as realization set in. He looked over at the older man with wide eyes. "Are you trying to tell me that this has something to do with my mother's death?"

"It has everything to do with it." Joe confirmed. Steve felt like someone had kicked all the air out of his chest and he couldn't catch his breath. This was the last thing he expected to hear.

"No….no no no no….. She died in a car bombing meant for my father that was planted by Wo Fat. His death doesn't change that." He insisted.

"Steve…"

"No!" He shouted. "I know! I know what happened to her."

"You only know what you've been told and what you've been told is a lie. Wo Fat did not kill your mother." Joe declared.

"No, you're a liar." Steve snarled. "Because….if he didn't kill her, then who did?" He demanded.

"No one." Joe answered simply.

"What? Are you trying to say it really was an accident? That it wasn't a car bomb? Cause that's a lie! I know it's a lie because I've seen the evidence. I know it was bomb." Steve shouted. His heart was pounding inside of his chest and he was starting to feel light headed. He didn't like the way this conversation was going and he wanted it to end—now.

"No, son." Joe shook his head. He sat forward in his seat, leaning his elbows on his knees. Steve pushed himself back on instinct to try to get away from the perceived threat. "It _was_ a car bomb but your mother was _not_ in the car when it exploded."

Bile rose in the back of his throat and Steve was sure he was going to be sick. If his mother wasn't in the car when the bomb exploded… then it could only mean one thing and his head spun with the implication of it….

"Are you….Are you telling me that my mother is alive?" He choked out.

"Yup." Joe nodded casually.

"No…." Steve whispered. "No….That's impossible…..She can't be….because that would mean…."

"She's alive son, has been the whole time." Joe repeated.

"How?"

"She's been in Witness Protection for the last twenty years. They faked her death to get her off the island and into the program." He explained briefly but Steve wasn't processing any of the information he was hearing.

His mind was reeling and he felt like the ground had opened up beneath him and he was free falling into a black hole. The first emotion that he was able to grab a firm hold on was anger. It quickly burned up inside of him and before he could get a grip on it, it overtook him and he lashed out. He swung an arm out and hit the rolling bed table, sending it crashing into the wall. His laptop toppled over and onto the floor with a distinctive crack as it broke into two pieces. Not satisfied yet with his destruction he reached out and grabbed the water pitcher off the side table and flung it across the room, splashing water across the wall and onto the floor. Pillows and blankets followed the pitcher as he started to yell out in frustration.

"What is going on in here?" One of the nurses demanded as she entered the room during the commotion. "Commander you need to calm down." She stated as she approached him.

Blinded by his rage, Steve launched a book in the air and the nurse barely had time to duck to avoid being hit in the head by it. She looked at Joe who shook his head before scurrying back out of the room. A moment later she returned with an orderly and a syringe in hand. Joe and the orderly both approached Steve from the sides and attempted to get him under control enough for the nurse to apply the sedative. Steve struggle against the two men and managed to catch Joe in the face with one of his fist before they were able to pin his arms and wrestle him onto his side where the nurse injected him in his thigh. Steve finally stopped fighting them and sank bank into the mattress as the meds started to kick in. The nurse checked his vitals and made sure he was stable before turning her attention to Joe.

"Care to explain yourself?"

**A/n2: **So yeah, I went there. I brought Mama McGarrett back to life. BUT! Unlike the show, she will not be evil or obnoxious but actually a caring and compassionate person. I really don't like Doris McGarrett which is why Melinda McGarrett (my version of her) will be very different as well Steve's reaction to her. I would also pick a different actress than the one on the show. Christine Lahti is a very talent actress but she's just not who I picture Melinda being.


	5. Emotional Bombs

**A/n: **So as I'm sure you are all aware I do not follow cannon precisely. I take most of the elements from the show and move them around as I see fit to use for my purposes. This chapter is an example of that.

_Ever notice how 'what the hell' is always the right answer?—Marilyn Monroe_

"What the hell happened?" Danny bellowed as he hurried out of Steve's room and joined the other two that had congregated outside.

"I'm sorry Mr. Williams but we had to sedate the Commander. He was throwing things and growing increasing violent." The nurse started. Danny held up a hand to stop her.

"Yeah I got the whole Incredible Hulk routine by the look of his room. What I want to know is what caused it?" He demanded, turning his stare towards Joe who was leaning causally against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and looked completely unfazed by the scene. "What did you tell him now?"

"I told him that his mother was alive." Joe shrugged. Danny just stared at the older man in disbelief.

As the shock wore off, he shook his head and took a breath to try to control the anger that was building inside of him. He had a pretty good feeling that this was the same reaction that Steve had when he heard the news and now the chaos made perfect sense.

"You know Joe, I'm starting to regret ever bringing you into this mess because every time you show up you drop an emotional bomb on Steve and I'm left dealing with the havoc you've wreaked. He had just gotten over what you told him about his father and then you go and tell him that his mother is apparently alive and well despite being blown up twenty years ago? I mean what the hell is wrong with you? Why would you do something like that?" Danny ranted.

"Because it's the truth. Melinda McGarrett is alive." Joe declared as if he couldn't understand why the blonde was upset.

"How is that possible?"

"She's been in Witness Protection for the last twenty years. Her 'death' was staged so that she could be put into the program and kept safe." Joe answered.

"Yeah well, fat lot of good that did for the rest of them. Why was Melinda hiding from Wo Fat anyways? I thought his beef was with John?" Danny asked, confused. His head was starting to spin slightly at the possibility that his mother-in-law had risen from the grave.

"She wasn't hiding from Wo Fat, at least not directly. She was hiding from the Yakuza which eventually came under Wo Fat's control but back then it was headed up by a man named Hiro Noshimori."

"Yakuza? Why do I know that name?" He wondered aloud.

"They're the Japanese version of the mob. They've been expanding their influence across Asia and Hawaii has been a known base for their illicit imports and exports businesses." Joe supplied.

"That's right. I overheard some of the guys from vice talking about them and the increase in drug smuggling on the island. But I still don't understand what these guys have to do with Melinda McGarrett. What's the connection?" _'and please don't say she's dirty' _Danny added in his own mind. The last thing Steve needed was to find out that, not only was his mother alive but she was involved in drug trafficking as well.

"Melinda worked for a company, North Shore Antiquities. They were supposedly an import business for fine art and other hard-to-find antiques but they were imporingt more than just expensive vases. The owner of the company, Robert Albright, was in with the Yakuza and used the company to help them smuggle in their drugs. Melinda was totally unaware that this was going on until she forgot her purse one night. When she went back for it, she overheard Mr. Albright and Hiro Norshimori in the midst of a deal. She thought she had gotten away without them seeing her but when she got back out to the car one of Hiro's men was waiting for her. He threatened her to keep her mouth shut about what she saw. She wanted to tell John about it but she was afraid of getting him involved because she didn't want anything to happen to him." Joe explained.

"But she did tell somebody? I mean, you don't get into WITSEC unless you're willing to talk." Danny pointed out.

"She came to me. I told her I would take care of it and nobody would know it was her. She'd be safe. Unfortunately, that was the same summer that John started his investigation into the corruption within HPD which the Yakuza was responsible for. Hiro, suspicious of the timing, figured that Melinda had told her husband what happened that night and that John had put the pieces together so he wanted to take her out to both keep her quiet and to get John to drop his investigation. Threats were made on her life but Melinda was placed in the program before they could get to her." Joe finished.

"Why bring her out now? If Wo Fat wasn't the one who was after her, then why bring her out of protection now that he's dead?" Danny inquired.

"Because Wo Fat wasn't the only man who was killed at that compound that night." Joe declared. "Hiro Norshimori is dead too. I know because I killed him. The threat to Melinda died along with those two men. Which is why I have spent the last month with her trying to get her out of WITSEC and back to the life she lost all those years ago."

"And we're just supposed to take your word for it?" Danny questioned, not quite convinced with what he had just heard.

"If you don't believe me, believe her. Melinda is here on Oahu. I've got her set up at the Hilton, you can talk to her yourself." Joe declared, clapping his hands together.

"What is she doing here?"

"She wants to see her son." He shrugged.

"Listen to me. Do not, I repeat, do not bring her around to see him unless he asks to her. Do you understand me? I will not have you ambushing him. He is not ready to deal with this yet and if you bring her around you are only going to make things worse than you already have. So you go back to her and you tell her that if she can spend twenty years away from him without a word than she can damn well wait another few weeks until he's ready." Danny warned.

"Understood." Joe replied as he pushed himself off the wall. "Tell Steve I'm sorry to drop this on him like this but he needed to know the truth." He added before disappearing down the hall. Danny watched him go for a minute before turning and heading back into the room.

Steve was still lying motionless in the bed but under his eyelids his partner could see his eyes dancing restlessly. His body may have been relaxed but his mind was still racing. Danny pulled the chair back over towards the bed and sat down in it heavily. He took one of Steve's hands in his and placed a kiss on the back of it. He was worried about how his husband was going to cope with this news. His mother's death had broken the McGarrett family and there was nothing that could be done now that could ever fix them again.


	6. Help Me Make It Through The Night

**A/n: **This is what I know you've all been wanting—McDanno sap. Enjoy!

_I would not leave you in times of trouble. We never could have come this far. I took the good times, I'll take the bad times. I'll take you just the way you are.—Billy Joel, Just The Way You Are_

_Love is not a because, it's a no matter what.—Jodi Picoult, Second Glance_

Danny had just dozed off when he felt Steve's hand start to move within his. He startled back awake, lifting his head up off of the back of the chair where he had rested it in time to see Steve's stormy green eyes fluttering open.

"Hey babe, you back among the living?" He inquired as he stood. Steve gripped his hand tightly and Danny gave him a squeeze back.

"Danny?" Steve groaned and tried to blink back the cobwebs that had formed in his mind from the sedative.

"Yeah, I'm here babe. I'm right here." Danny leaned over him slightly and ran a comforting hand over his head, petting him slightly. "You want some water?" Steve nodded.

He always hated being sedated. The meds had made his mouth feel like it was stuffed with cotton, his mind was clouded and his body felt like each of his limbs weighed a hundred pounds. The worst part about it thought was the memory loss. He couldn't remember why he even had to be sedated. Danny adjusted the bed so that he could sit upright and then held a cup of water up for him to drink from.

"What happened?" Steve asked once he had swallowed.

"What happened was that you had a bout of serious rage and decided to destroy your room in true Neanderthal fashion." His partner explained, gesturing towards the busted laptop on the bedside table.

Steve flushed slightly, embarrassed that he had allow his anger to get so out of control that he had resorted to violence. He remembered that Joe had come by to see him but it took a minute for his fuzzy mind to recall the details of their conversation. They had been talking about his recovery and then his parents and then…

"Hey babe, you okay? Cause you're looking a little pale all of a sudden." Danny laid a hand down on his husband's shoulder and shook him a little to try to get him to break out of the trance he had fallen into. Steve snapped back to reality with a violent shudder and a sudden gasp.

"Danny…my mom…." He choked out. He looked up at the blonde with tears in his eyes and the pain reflecting in them hit his partner right in the gut.

"I know. Joe told me." Danny said sadly, rubbing his thumb gently across Steve's cheekbone as he cradled his face in his hand.

"How could she still be alive? How could she…." Steve trailed off. He blinked furiously but it was no use. A few stray tears fell down his cheeks anyways and Danny gently swiped them away.

"I don't know, Steve. I don't know how she could do this to you and Mary and your dad." He started as he sat down on the bed next to his hip while continuing to keep one hand planted firmly on his face in an effort to keep him grounded in the here and now. "But from what Joe told me, it doesn't sound like she had much of a choice. She had to go to keep you guys safe."

"Where is Joe?" Steve demanded, suddenly noticing the older man's absence.

"He left awhile ago." Danny replied, trying not to let his voice betray his feelings towards Joe at the moment. His desire to hurt the man who had hurt Steve wouldn't help his partner at the moment.

"Did he tell you everything?" Steve questioned insistently. Danny frowned.

"Just the highlights version." He said with a shrug. "But babe, it's not important right now." He added but his partner hadn't heard him.

"What am I going to do?" Steve wondered aloud.

His eyes were wandering around the room sightlessly as thoughts ran through his head. Details of his mother's death were racing through him mind as he tried to figure out what he missed that would have given him a clue that it was all staged but he kept coming up blank. It just didn't add up to him.

"I don't want you to worry about that right now." Danny repeated, more forcefully this time. Steve shot him a look.

"You want me to just forget that any of this has happened? That my mother isn't really dead?" He asked incredulously.

"I know. Trust me, if that were possible then we could just forget the last few months ever happened and live happily ever after." Danny waved his hands in an acknowledgement of how ridiculous the suggestion sounded. "What I meant is that right now, the most important thing is for you to focus on your recovery. You are so close to being able to come home and I don't want anything to derail that progress." He explained. Steve sighed. His partner had a point.

"Alright okay. I will _try _not to worry about it." He offered.

"That's all I ask for." Danny said and then winced. "Well, actually there is one more thing…"

"What Daniel?" Steve wondered, sounding slightly annoyed.

"I think you should talk to Dr. Lewis about…Melinda's reappearance." He rolled his eyes but Danny cut him off before he could start protesting. "No, listen to me. She has really helped you deal with the issues surrounding you and your father and I think she could help you deal with this too."

"I thought you hated Dr. Lewis and thought the whole psychiatric profession was a joke." Steve accused.

"Well…yes, but…I do reluctantly admit that they can be helpful." He confessed, squirming slightly in his spot on the bed. "I just don't want this to come between us. We have worked too hard to get back to a good place in our relationship and I don't want this to ruin all that."

"It won't, Danny." Steve promised. He squeezed Danny's hand reassuringly. "And I'll talk to Dr. Lewis if it will make you feel better."

"It will, but you'll feel better too babe." The blonde assured. "You going to be okay by yourself tonight or do you want me to stay?"

Steve looked up at his husband with tired eyes. He wanted Danny to stay. He felt calmer and steadier with his partner by his side. But he also knew that sleep would probably be allusive tonight. His racing thoughts would eventually lead to nightmares and he didn't want to keep Danny up and worrying about him all night. He could get through the night on his own tonight if he had to.

"I'll be alright." He stated.

"You're a terrible liar." Danny remarked as he moved off of the bed. "Give me a few minutes to make a few phone calls and then I'm parking my ass in that chair for the night." Steve gave him a look that was somewhere between exasperation and appreciation and Danny shook his head. "How many times do I have to tell you that you aren't alone anymore? That I am here to bare your burdens with you? Stop trying to drive me away with your isolationist behavior." He chastised as he headed out the door. Before he left though, he stopped and turned back towards him. "I'm not like her, Steve. I will never leave you behind, ever."

"Thank you." Steve replied softly. Danny gave him a bewildered look.

"For what?"

"For being you….and for sticking with me even when I kind of wish you would just go away." Steve admitted, causing his partner to laugh.

"You're going to have to try harder if you really want to get rid of me. I'm not that easily dissuaded."


	7. As Easily As You Fall Into Your Pillow

**A/n: **So I know it's been forever since I updated this story but I've been battling with this chapter as well as battling uncontrollable migraines. Hopefully this chapter helps to move things along a little.

"_She cared. She gave a crap. When I lacked even the self-respect to keep myself alive, she dabbed my cuts and I fell back into being a son; I fell as easily as you fall into your pillow at night. And I didn't want it to end. That's the best way I can explain it. I knew it was impossible. But I didn't want it to end." ― Mitch Albom, __For One More Day_

Exercise had always been an escape for Steve. It was a way to help clear all the noise from his head and bring himself back to a level of mental equilibrium. So after learning of his mother's reappearance he threw himself into his physical therapy as a way to cope. The doctor had cleared him to start re-learning how to walk and at first he had scoffed at the idea. He didn't need to 're-learn' anything; he knew how to walk. Kailoni had tried to warn him that he had been bed ridden for nearly six weeks which meant that his leg muscles had atrophied and it would take time before he could walk on his own again but Steve had arrogantly believed that he was different.

The first day on the parallel bars was frustrating. He had been embarrassingly weak on his feet and had tripped more times than he would ever admit to. By the end of the session, the only thing that was more bruised than his backside was his ego. He was a SEAL for god sakes. He should have been stronger and better conditioned than the average person. He should have been able to bounce back from this easier than he was both mentally and physically.

But in his humbler moments, he had to admit that he hadn't exactly been in his prime physically before all of this happened. That wasn't to say that he hadn't been in shape but he certainly was not as conditioned as he had been while he was still on active duty. And as much as Danny would make fun of him for being some kind of super hero, Steve was also learning that he was in fact just a mere mortal like the rest of them. He had been working on the recumbent bike when someone knocked on the door to the therapy room.

"I thought I'd find you down here." Dr. Lewis stated as she leaned against the doorway. "How is your rehab going?" She asked, gesturing towards the bike.

"Slower than I'd like but the doctor says I'm making progress." Steve admitted as he continued his ride. "As long as there aren't any more complications I should be discharged in a few days." He added with a small smile.

"Do you think you're ready to go home?" She inquired, leaving her post at the door to come and sit on the empty bike next to him. "The only reason I'm asking is because you and Danny have essentially been separated for a few months and now you're going to be back to living and being around each other twenty-four/seven again. I'm just wondering if you two are emotionally prepared for that." She explained when she saw the skeptical look on his face.

Steve didn't answer right away. He and Danny had worked hard on their relationship to try to fix the damage that had been done both before and after Korea. They had gone through couples' therapy as well as each of them seeing a therapist independently. Things weren't perfect between them but then again they never really had been.

"I think we've done all we can do, at this point. If we can't make it work when we're physically back together then I don't know if we can. But we have to try." He explained. Dr. Lewis nodded in agreement.

"Let's talk about the other family situation you've got going on right now." She said, changing the subject. "How are you doing with your mother's reappearance? I know that the last time we talked you were still pretty angry about it. How are you feeling now?"

Steve sighed. It had been a few days since he found out that his mother was still alive and the overwhelming rage that he had felt when he first found out had now simmered down more to irritation than anger. He hated the fact that he had been lied to for all these years. And that Joe, someone that he had trusted implicitly had known the truth this whole time and said nothing still burned him slightly.

"I'm still kind of pissed about everything. But as I'm learning, anger is not exactly a useful emotion." Steve said, giving her a knowing smile.

"Very good." She commented, returning his smile. "But in limited amounts anger can be a good thing. It's when you can't focus it and you allow it to overtake you that it becomes destructive. What else are you feeling now that the anger is dissipating?"

"Confused?" Steve offered. "I don't really know what to think. It kind of feels like a bad dream that I can't wake up from."

"Have you seen you mother yet?" Dr. Lewis asked. Steve looked away.

"No."

"Do you want to?"

"I don't know. A part of me does but there is also a part of me that feels like if I don't see her, then it isn't true. That she's not really back." He admitted.

"Do you want her back?" Steve groaned. This was the part of talking with a psychologist that he hated, the persistent questioning and probing for answers that he doesn't have the answers to.

"I don't know." He repeated, clearly irritated. "She's been gone for twenty years. How am I supposed to just let her back in? I was just a kid when she left. Now I'm an adult with my own kids. Nothing is the same anymore…I'm certainly not." He added softly. Dr. Lewis closed the file on her lap and rested both of her hands on top of it, leaning forward slightly as she spoke.

"I think you're also afraid that she's not the same either. You have this…image in your head of your mother, who she was and what she meant to you, and you're afraid if you see her now and she's not the way you remember then all your memories will be ruined." She offered. She didn't miss the way his eyes seemed to cloud over at the mention of his memories. "Steve?"

"I saw her." He muttered.

"Your mother? But I thought you said—"

"It wasn't real." He quickly corrected. "It was like a dream or a hallucination or something… but it felt real."

"Tell me about it. When did this happen?" Dr. Lewis questioned, her curiosity peaked.

"It was after I had been rescued but before we got back to the island. We were at the house. I woke up in my bed and she was just sitting there beside me like she used to do when I was sick. I knew it was impossible but….it felt right." Steve confessed. It felt like such a foolish thing to admit to but the dream had been one of the things that helped to pull him through at the time.

"Did you talk to her?" He nodded.

"Yeah we talked about Danny and my dad and the girls. I mean, she knew things about me that she had no way of knowing. I asked her how she knew these things and she said it was because she had always been watching over me."

"Well, dreams are often your mind's way of working through problems. So it's not surprising that she knew things because they are your own thoughts."

"But what if it wasn't that? What if…what if it really was her? What if this was her way of signaling to me that she was coming back?" He asked insistently.

"You think the dream was some kind of premonition? Like a warning of things to come?" Dr. Lewis questioned. She was slightly skeptical of the idea but she had heard stranger things before.

"Maybe. I don't know. I just don't think it was a coincidence that I had a dream about my mother and then suddenly she reappears." Steve shrugged.

"Have you had dreams like this about your mother before?"

"No." He shook his head. "This didn't feel like just any dream. It felt real, like I could feel her touch and smell her perfume. I know that is impossible but I can't explain it any other way." He said.

"You're not the first person to have such an encounter after a near death experience Steve. Many people have recalled seeing and speaking to deceased loved ones in such situations. It brought you comfort during a traumatic time. That's what you should take away from it. I wouldn't try to find a deeper meaning in it or you may end up making yourself crazy." She suggested, patting his arm gently as she stood. "I'd like to meet with you one more time before you're discharged and then once you're back home we can figure out a schedule." She added as she headed towards the door.

"Hey doc?" Steve called out, stopping her as she reached the door.

"Yes?"

"Do you think I should see her?" He asked. Dr. Lewis smiled sadly.

"You're the only one who can decide that, Steve." She replied. He frowned until she added "But, if it were me, I'd have some questions that I would want answered."


	8. For All of My Shortcomings

**A/n: **Wow, so this only took forever to finish. I know where I want to go with this story but I'm struggling to get it out because this season is killing my inspiration. The McDanno is few and far between. All your support is still greatly appreciated.

_For all of my shortcomings, welcome to my homecoming. Yeah it's been a long time coming. Lot of fights, lot of scars, lot of bottles, lot of cars, lot of ups, lot of downs, made it back lost my dog. But here I stand a better man. Thank you lord, thank you all.—Diddy, Coming Home_

_The first law of geography according to Waldo Tobler is "Everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things._

It was good to be home.

After nearly three months away it was nice to be back surrounded by the people and things he knew and loved. Steve had been discharged from the rehab facility the day before and Danny and the girls had picked him up and brought him back to a surprisingly quiet house. He had been sure that the whole gang would be waiting for hem but his partner explained that he had managed to hold them off for a day so that he could readjust in peace. He had been surprisingly grateful. It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to see his friends, but he was glad to not have an audience to the couple of tears that ran quietly down his cheek as he hobbled through the front door.

Coming home had been more emotional than he had thought it would be. The tears had started to sting at the back of his eyes and a lump formed in his throat when they had pulled into the driveway. When he left for Korea, he hadn't really thought about the fact that he might not have ever made it back, that he may never see his home or family again. He could have become just another ghost to haunt the halls.

After getting situated, Danny had made dinner while he watched a movie with the girls. It was all deliciously normal and almost slightly surreal to sit around as a family again. Grace and Makayla had fallen asleep halfway through _Despicable Me _so Danny had carried them off to bed before coming back to help him up the stairs to their room where they spent the rest of the night lying in bed talking. He fell asleep curled into Danny's side, feeling content for the first time in a long time.

Sun was pouring through the window when Steve finally woke the next morning and he instinctively reached across the bed for Danny only to find the bed empty. Steve frowned but the feeling of disappointment was short lived when the bedroom door opened and his partner sauntered in with a cup of coffee in hand.

"Morning sleepyhead." Danny greeted as he placed his mug on the nightstand and flopped back onto the bed.

Steve rolled over towards him with a huge grin on his face as he looked at the blonde, hair sleep tousled and clothes rumpled as he lay stretched out on the other side of the bed. This was his favorite version of Danny. It was one very few people ever got to see because his partner's public persona was so put together. It felt like some kind of a privilege to see him so raw and undone.

"Hmm, what time is it?"

"After nine." Danny answered.

"Man, I can't remember the last time I slept that late." Steve sighed, running a hand over his face to help clear the last vestiges of sleep away.

"I always sleep like crap in the hospital. Too many people and too much noise." Danny shrugged.

"Where are the girls?"

"Hidden away in Grace's room working on something for the party later."

"Party?" Steve asked, scrunching up his face in confusion. Danny sat up slightly as he started to explain.

"Yeah. Everybody is coming over later for a BBQ. You okay with that? Cause if you want more time I can—" He started to move out of the bed but Steve reached out to keep him in place.

"No! No, I'm good. I've had enough time, too much time away from everyone. I want to see them."

"Alright," Danny moved to roll away but Steve caught his arm and pulled him back towards him, leaning over to press his lips against Danny's whose blue eyes lit up and a smile bloomed across his face. "Welcome home babe."

* * *

"He seems to be doing alright." Mason commented to Danny as they stood off to the edge of the lanai watching as Steve regaled the others with a story. The injured man had been in good spirits throughout the day but the tight lines and cautious glances from his partner gave away the underlying tension that remained between them.

"He's good at hiding things." Danny muttered around the mouth of his beer.

"His mom?" Mason said, guessing at the source of his discontent.

"Yeah. He won't talk to me about it." The blonde frowned. After the meltdown in rehab, Steve hadn't brought the topic up again and Danny had been unsure of how to approach him without setting him off again.

"But he's talking to the shrink right?" Danny nodded.

"That's good…right?" Mason added, noting the look of concern on the other man's face.

"Yeah, it's just…" Danny trailed off, then looked around quickly to see if anyone was watching them before gesturing towards the house that they slipped into.

"What's up?"

"Joe called me this morning. He said Melinda wants to meet with me." He declared. Mason's eyes widened slightly. "I told Joe that Steve doesn't want to see her right now and he said it was fine but that she still wanted to meet with me. I don't know what to do." Danny sighed.

He was completely torn on what to do. He wanted to meet with his not-so-dead mother-in-law and find out how she could do what she did but he didn't want to stir things up anymore than they already were with Steve who didn't seem ready to accept the woman's reappearance into his life. Danny had briefly considered not telling his partner about the meeting before remembering that all of the problems in their marriage stemmed from secrets and lies.

"When does she want to meet?"

"The sooner the better, or so says Joe." He shrugged.

"I do not envy your position here." Mason stated, shaking his head. "Or a work for that matter. Did you ever get around to that file I gave you?"

"I glanced at it but it didn't make any sense. What does the Governor's husband have to do with anything?" Danny shrugged.

"If you'd read the whole thing you'd have figured it out." Mason retorted. Danny shot him back a look.

"I've been a little busy lately. Mind filling me in on the details?"

"Sure." Mason agreed sheepishly. "Graham Jameson is the key to whatever it is that the Governor didn't want you to find out."

"Graham Jameson is a nobody. He doesn't even have a real job, he just does ceremonial appearances for his wife." Danny replied.

"Ah yes, well before he became the First Man of Hawaii he was a businessman. After his father-in-law's death in 1994 Graham took over the business. It was an import/export business that dealt in hard to find items such as drugs and guns. The business was essentially a front for the Yakuza who were just starting to set up shop here on the island back then. It seems his father-in-law had made a deal with the then leader of the Yakuza-a Hiro Noshimori—to smuggle things in for them in exchange for a cut of the proceeds from their drug deals. When Graham took over the business, he took over the deal." Mason explained.

"So the Governor's father and husband were in bed with the Yakuza. That would be a political career killer if it ever got out." Danny surmised.

"Which is why Graham sold the business just before his wife ran for Governor the first time." Mason added.

"Who owns the business now?"

"Nobody. North Shore Antiquities went bankrupt a few years ago. I don't think the deal ended when they sold the business. I think it changed from smuggling to turning a blind eye to their illegal activities. The Jamesons are in bed with the devil." Mason declared.

"Wait…wait a minute, what did you say the name of the business was?" Danny inquired. He was starting to look a little pale.

"North Shore Antiquities. It was started by Robert Albright in the mid-eighties. Pat Jameson even worked there for awhile before she got into politics." Mason answered. Danny went whiter. "What am I missing here?"

"Melinda McGarrett worked for North Shore Antiquities in the early 90s. It's the whole reason she ended up in WITSEC. She witnessed a deal go down between Albright and Noshimori so they put a hit out on her." Danny sighed heavily. Mason's face dropped.

"Oh god."

"I think we're past the point of his help." Danny muttered sarcastically.

"Tobler's first law of geography—Everything is related to everything else." Mason snorted. "If Jameson knows about Melinda being a witness and she finds out that she's really alive she could be in danger all over again." He pointed out.

"Yeah." Danny ran a heavy hand over his face. "Look, let's just keep this between you and I for right now. I'll…talk to Steve tonight and hopefully I can keep him from killing the Governor."

"You got it." Mason nodded before disappearing back out onto the lanai. Danny stayed behind in the kitchen to try to compose himself again before he rejoined the party. He shook his head and muttered to himself.

"And the hits just keep on coming."


	9. Why We Even Tried

**a/n: **sorry it's been so long. I've started a new job and it doesn't leave me much time or energy for writing.

_I can't handle all this pain. All we ever do is fight anyways. Why we even tried I haven't clue. With hearts involved there's way too much to lose.—Miranda Lambert, Love Your Memory_

Danny was finishing up the last of the dishes when Steve hobbled into the kitchen. As he made it to his partner's side he gave Danny a few quick, hard whacks on the back causing the blonde to drop the plate in his hand into the soapy depths of the sink.

"What the hell Steven?" Danny exclaimed. He attempted to dodge the water that splashed back towards him but still managed to end up soaked down the front.

"Sorry." Steve said, not sounding contrite at all. "I was just trying to loosen the words you've been choking on all night."

"That obvious huh?" Danny winced. He knew he hadn't done a very good job of masking his worry but he had hoped he'd have more time to get his thoughts in order.

"You don't do subtle well." Steve pointed out. His partner shot him a look. "So what is it? What's got you all worked up?"

"We need to talk."

"Yeah, I got that." Steve smirked. His good mood from the day was still present and Danny was loath to ruin it but he couldn't put it off any longer. "What do we need to talk about?"

"Your mother." He sighed. Steve's smirk melted into a frown.

"Oh."

"Come on." Danny took Steve by the elbow and led him out into the living room where they settled in on the couch.

"What's going on Danny?" The SEAL demanded.

"I found out some new information that… changes things." The blonde admitted. He then proceeded to tell him about what he and Mason had found out and what it all meant. Steve face paled as the grim reality of the situation set in.

"So you're saying the Governor put out a hit on my mother?" He choked out.

"Well technically it was her father but I think that she knows about it." Danny confirmed. Steve ran a hand over his mouth and Danny wondered if he was going to be sick.

"How could she…how could she lie to my face like that? How could she offer me this job knowing that?" Steve wondered aloud.

"To keep an eye on you?" The blonde shrugged. "I don't think she ever wanted you to find out about this." Things were quiet between the two men for a few minutes as Danny let it all sink in for his partner, knowing that he had just thrown a lot on him and still had more to go.

"What am I going to do?" Steve asked. Danny could hear in his voice that he was starting to flounder so he grabbed one of his husband's hands and held it firmly in his own.

"_We _are going to keep digging until we have a concrete case against her and then we are going to nail her to the wall." He answered firmly. Steve rolled his eyes.

"Danny, this is my fight-my battle…"

"And you're still recovering from the last battle that you took on by yourself. Let me in on this one." Danny insisted. Steve sighed but eventually caved.

"Alright, okay. You're right, I promise I won't try to do this all on my own." He vowed. Danny smiled and leaned over for a quick kiss.

He was so tempted to leave the conversation there for the night. He knew if he brought up Melinda it was just going to upset Steve all over again but Danny also knew that he couldn't keep losing his nerve. If he did, he was never going to tell him and the lying would start all over again. He had to tell Steve and deal with whatever consequences may come.

"That's…that's not all." Danny stuttered, leaning his forehead against the other man's as he spoke. This was the part he had really been dreading.

"There's more?" Steve exclaimed, pulling away. His partner nodded.

"Joe called this morning." Danny started. Steve groaned. Nothing good ever came from his old mentor these days. "Your mother wants to meet with me."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. To talk about you? To see if she can get me to soften you up about seeing her?" Danny shrugged. It didn't do much to pacify the other man.

"Well you're not going to go, right? I mean, we agreed." Steve insisted and the blonde could hear the panic that was starting to creep into his voice.

"We agreed that _you _shouldn't see her…" He started but the SEAL could read between the lines.

"So you're going to go?! What the hell Danny?" Steve levered himself up off the couch and began to limp around the room. Danny wanted to stop him. He could see on his face that the movement was causing him pain but he also knew that Steve used pain to ground himself when he felt unstable.

"I just want to hear what she has to say for herself." Danny explained.

"Who cares what she has to say? Her actions spoke louder than any words she has now." Steve shot back at him.

"Don't you want to know why she did it?" The blonde wondered.

"I don't give a shit why she did it." The SEAL declared loudly. "All that matters is that she was wrong."

"Was she?" Danny questioned, his voice low. Steve turned on him with a menacing glare.

"You think her abandoning her family was right?" He accused. Danny helped up his hands in defense.

"No-"

"Then what are you trying to say?"

"I'm just saying that there is a part of me that can understand _why _she did it." Danny confessed, which only served to fuel Steve's anger even more.

"You're taking her side?" He accused. The look on his face was hurt with a hint of betrayal mixed in with it.

"Whoa! What? No, I'm not taking anybody's side. I am simply stating that as a parent I can understand why she felt she had to do what she did. She was trying to protect you." Danny shot back at him as he stood from the couch as well.

"I didn't want her protection! I just wanted her to be there for me as my mother." Steve shouted.

"I'm sure Makayla would have said the same thing if you had been killed in Korea." It was a low blow and Danny knew it. He didn't need the pained expression that appeared on his husband's face to know he had crossed a line. "Steve-"

"No." The SEAL growled. "She lied, Danny. She lied and it destroyed my family. Why can't you understand that?"

"I do understand it!" Danny shouted back at him. "Or have you forgotten that I had to stand there and watch my brother walk away from everything because he got in over his head? Huh? Or how about watching you get on a plane without having a clue about what you were doing or where you were going? You're not the only one who knows what it's like to be the one left behind Steve." He threw at him before turning and walking away.


End file.
